Lid feeding apparatus



June 26, 1962 R. FL. ANDERSON LID FEEDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1960 June 26, 1962 R. F. ANDERSON LID FEEDING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 26, 1962 i R. F. ANDERSON 3,040,494

' LID FEEDING APPARATUS Filed June 13, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 g 1 TM United States Patent )fiice 3,940,494 Patented June 26, 1962 This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for dispensing nesting type cup lids and particularly to a d-ispensnig apparatus for such lids which is operated in response to the advancement of the cup conveyer therebelow.

Capping machines have heretofore been devised in which the cups are advanced by a conveyer past a lid dispenser and in which the cup conveyer has means thereon arranged to engage the lowermost lid in the stack of cups to slide the lid off the stack and advance the lid with the cup. Such machines work well with flat type lids since such lids readily slide crosswise of the stack. However, difiiculties are encountered when attempting to dispense nesting type lids in response to the movement of a conveyer below the lid dispenser. .The nesting type lids in general include a central mouth spanning portion and a peripheral rim spaced above the mouth spanning portion and, when the lids are stacked, the mouth spanning portion of one lid nests at least partially within the rim of the lid therebelow. This nesting of the lids markedly impedes movement of the lid crosswise of the stack with the conveyor.

An important object of'this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for dispensing nesting type lids, which apparatus is adapted to be operated in response to advancement of a cup conveyer therebelow and in which the lid dispenser is arranged to dispense nesting type cup lids from a stack for advancement with the cup conveyer.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for dispensing nesting type lids in accordance with the foregoing object, and which apparatus has an improved arrangement operative in response to the movement of the cup conveyer therebelow for positively separating the trailing edge of the lowermost nested lid from the remainder of the stack to enable the lowermost lid to be slid crosswise of the stack with the cup conveyer.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for dispensing nesting type lids, which apparatus does not deform or distort the lids as they are separated from the stack and fed with the cup conveyer.

These, together with various ancillary objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the lid dispesing apparatus mounted on a machine having a horizontally movable conveyer and with the lid dispensing elements shown in their normal retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view with the lid dispensing apparatus taken on the plane 22 of FIG. 1 and with the lid dispensing fingers in their retracted position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the lid dispensing apparatus illustrating the lid dispensing fingers in a moved position during the lid dispensing operation;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional ,view taken on the plane 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the lid pusher finger illustrating the manner in which it engages and advances the cup lid;

- most lid in the stack and support the same.

IFIG. 7 is an end view of the lid separator finger and illustrating the cam nose on the end thereof;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the lid separator finger;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a modified form of lid dispensing apparatus shown mounted on a machine having a horizontally movable conveyer;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane 10-10 of FIG. 9 and illustrating the conveyer in a position just prior to engagement with the lid pusher finger; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the lid dispensing apparatus of FIG. 9 and with the conveyer advanced from the FIG. 10 position to move the lowermost .lid to a displaced position relative to the stack.

The lid dispensing apparatus of the present invention is designed to dispense nesting type lids and is arranged for operation by a horizontally movable conveyer 11 in response to movement of the conveyer below the dispensing apparatus so as to thereby eliminate the necessity ofproviding a separate drive for the lid dispenser. While the dispensing apparatus is generally adapted for use with machines having a horizontally movable conveyer, it is specifically designed for use with the rotary cup filler and capper shown in the patent to Ralph F. Anderson and Marvin Heifetz, No. 2,863,271, to which reference is hereby made for a more complete description of the overall machine. Only so much of the machine 12 is shown herein as is necessary to illustrate the mounting and operation of the cap filler by the machine. In general, the machine 12 includes a central housing 13 having a conveyer 11 in the form of an annular star wheel rotatably supported thereon. The star wheel has'annularly spaced outwardly extending teeth 14 defining cup receiving pockets therebetween and which are arranged to advance the cups C along a support platform 15. The lid dispensing apparatus 10 is mounted on the central housing 13 to overlie the conveyer 11 to be operated thereby.

The lid dispensing apparatus includes a base 21 having a central opening 22 dimensioned to loosely receive the cup lids L. The base is preferably mounted for limited vertical adjustment on the housing 13 and, as shownin FIGS. 1 and 3, has a dovetail slot 23 which slidably receives a key 24 formed on one side of the housing 13. A screw 25 is threaded into the base and engages a stationary abutment (not shown) on the housing 13 to enable raising and lowering of the cup magazine relative to the conveyer 11. A plurality of lid guide rods 26, herein shown four in number, are attached to the base and extend upwardly around the opening 22 therein. A top ring 27 is attached to the rods adjacent their upper ends to maintain the same in proper spaced relation.

Inner and outer guide shoes 28 and 29 are attached to the underside of the base 21 adjacent the radially inner and outer edges of the opening 22 therein and which guide shoes extend generally tangentially of the trailing edge of the opening as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to guide the lids L therebetween. The shoes 28 and 29 have a thickness slightly greater than the height of an individual lid L and inner and outer lid support plates 31 and 32 are attached to the underside of the respective shoes and extend inwardly partiallyacross the opening 22 to engage the underside of the lower- As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 3, the support plates 31 and 32 are spaced apart to define a slot therebetween. Upwardly extending lid pusher elements 33 are provided on the outer ends of each of the teeth 14 of the conveyer, which elements project through the space between the-lid 3 support plates 31 and 32 as the conveyer is advanced below the lid dispensing apparatus.

A large number of different styles of nesting type lids have been developed. In general, such lids include a central mouth spanning portion 35 and a peripheral rim 36 which extends upwardly from the mouth spanning portion, and the rims frequently terminate in an outwardly directed flange 37 which is adapted to overlie the upper edge of the cup or container when the lid is mounted thereon. In some nesting type lids, the rims extend substantially perpendicular to the mouth spanning portion and, when such lids are nested, the lids are highly resistant to sliding movement in a direction crosswise of the stack. Moreover, such lids are generally formed of a light weight material such as plastic, paper or thin metal and cannot withstand very high radial pressures, particularly on the outwardly directed flange portion 37 of the rim, without being distorted to an extent sufl'icient to prevent proper seating and sealing on the cup. Such nesting type lids, consequently, cannot be merely pushed off the bottom of the stack by the pusher elements 33 on the conveyer, in the manner heretofore employed for dispensing flat disk type lids.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for vertically separating the trailing edge of the lowermost lid L from the remainder of the stack is response to the movement of the lid pusher 33 below the the lid dispenser apparatus, to enable the lowermost lid to be moved crosswise of the stack. As used herein, the term trailing edge of the lid refers to the portion of the lid that trails during advancement of the lid by the conveyer. A bracket 41 is attached to the base 21 and, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, has a pin 42 rotatably supported therein about an axis laterally offset from the path of movement of the lid pusher elements 33. A lid separating finger 44 is non-rotatably attached to the lower end of the shaft 42 and has a cam nose on its outer end 45 thereof. The separator finger 44 is mounted by the pin for horizontal swinging movement in a plane spaced above the lid support plates 31 and 32 at a level such that the nose portion 45 thereof moves between the flange 37 on the lowermost lid and the flange on the lid thereabove to separate the lowermost lid from the stack. The lid separator finger 44 is normally urged in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, by means of a spring 47, which spring surrounds the shaft 42 and has one end 48 thereof non-rotatably connected to the bracket 41 and the other end 49 thereof non-rotatably connected to a cap 51. The cap is locked to the shaft 42 by a set screw 52 and, by loosening the set screw and turning the cap relative to the shaft, it is possible to tighten or loosen the spring tension. A stop 46 (FIGS. 1 and 3) extends downwardly from the bracket 41 and is arranged to engage the lid separator finger 44 to limit retraction of the finger by the spring 47 to a position substantially as shown in FIG. 1. In this position, the separator finger 44 has the nose 45 thereof disposed out of the path of movement of the lids L in the magazine base 21, and the finger extends crosswise of the path of movement of the lid pushers 33 on the conveyer. As the conveyer is advanced in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lid pushers 33 engage the lid separator finger and move the same in a clockwise direction in advance of the lid pusher. The nose 45 of the separator finger 44 has a relatively sharp lead corner 45a which is adapted to interfit between the flanges on the lowermost lid and the lid thereabove. The nose 45 is inclined upwardly as indicated at 45b from the lead corner 45a to cam the trailing edge of the penultimate lid upwardly as shown in FIG. 4. The lowermost lid L can then be pushed laterally off the bottom of the stack.

As previously described, the lids are generally formed of relatively light weight material and cannot withstand very high radial pressures without permanent distortion,

particularly when the pressure is applied to the unsupported flange portion 37 of the lids. It has been found, however, that relatively higher pressures can be applied to the peripheries of the lids adjacent the mouth spanning portion 35 thereof without causing permanent distortion. However, the lid pusher elements 33 must engage the flange portion of the lids, in order to enable the lids to drop down into the cup C after the lids have been moved off the support plates 31 and 32. Accordingly, a lid pusher finger 61 is mounted on the underside of the base 21 and positioned to engage the periphery of the lowermost lid adjacent its mouth spanning portion.

The lid pusher finger 61 is mounted for horizontal swinging movement an axis which is also laterally offset from the path of movement of the pusher elements 33 on the conveyer 11. As best shown in FIG. 5, the pusher finger 61 is rotatably supported on a pin 62 attached to the lid support plate 32 and which extends upwardly into a bore 63 in the base 21. The base is counterbored as indicated at 64 and a spring 65 is disposed in the counter bore and has one end 66 thereof anchored to the base and the other end 67 anchored to a hub 68 on the pusher finger to yieldingly urge the pusher finger in a counter-' clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3. The outer shoe 29 on the base 21 is arranged to have the end thereof abut the pusher finger 61, as shown in FIG. 1, to limit counterclockwise movement thereof and to normally maintain the pusher finger in the position shown in FIG. 1, adjacent the trailing edge of the opening 22 in the lid magazine. The pusher finger 61 is mounted for movement in a plane disposed below the plane of movement of the separator finger 44 and adjacent the upper face of the lid support plates 31 and 32 to engage the lids supported on the plates adjacent their lower mouth spanning portion. A lip 71 is preferably afiixed to the free end of the pusher finger and arranged to underlie the lids, as best shown in FIG. 6 to properly support the mouth spanning portion of the lid in contact with the end of the pusher finger. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the lid pusher elements 33 on the conveyer engage the pusher finger 61 after they have engaged the separator finger 44. The pusher elements 33 then move the pusher finger to slide the lowermost cap partially off the stack. The pusher finger engages the lid adjacent its mouth spanning portion so as to minimize deformation of the lid and, when the pusher finger swings out of engagement with the lid, the pusher element 33 on the conveyer continues its movement and engages the peripheral flange 37 on the lid to continue advancing the lid L with the cup C. When the lids have been pushed off the support plates 31 and 32, they drop into the cup therehelow as is clearly shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, inner and outer lid guides 74 and 75 are attached to the base 21 for guiding the lids and cups into interfitting relation. The outer guide 75 has a depending fiange 76 which radially guides the lid L and also extends downwardly to radially guide the cup therebelow. The inner lid guide includes a resilient finger 77 which urges the lid radially outwardly against the outer guide, atrxidlad presser plate 78 which overlies the periphery of t e i From the foregoing it is thought that the operation of the lid dispenser shown in FIGS. 1-8 will be readily understood. The teeth 14 on the conveyer advance a cup C and simultaneously advance the pusher elements 33. As the pusher elements move past the lid dispenser, the pusher elements sequentially engage the lid separator finger 44 and the lid pusher finger 61 to first vertically separate the trailing edge of the lowermost lid from the lids thereabove, and to thereafter push the lowermost lid by engagement of the pusher finger with the lid adjacent its lower mouth spanning portion. After the pusher finger has moved out of engagement with the lid, the pusher element 33 continues to advance the lid by engagement with the peripheral flange 37 thereon to move the lid and cup together into interfitting relation. With this arrangement, the lid dispenser is operated by the conveyer so as to eliminate the necessity of a separate drive mechanism for the lid dispenser and to also assure proper timing of the lid dispensing operation with the movement of the conveyer.

'I.he lid dispenser shown in FIGS. 9ll is-generally s1milar to that shown in FIGS. 1-8 and like numerals, followed by the subscript prime are used to designate corresponding parts. As in the preceding embodiment, the lid dispenser 10' includes a magazine base 21 having a central opening 22 and inner and outer lid guide shoes 28 and 29. Inner and outer lid support plates 31' and 32 are attached to the underside of the shoes and extend inwardly of the opening 22' to support a stack of lids. Inner and outer li-d guides 74' and 75 are attached to the base and extend therefrom for guiding the lids and cups C into interfitting relation.

The lid dispenser of FIGS. 9-11 is specifically designed for dispensing nesting type lids which have a mouth spanning portion 35' and an upwardly extending rim portion 36 which tapers upwardly and outwardly from the mouth spanning portion as best shown in FIGS. 10 and l1, and which have a peripheral flange 37' at their upper edge. Such lids partially nest, one within the other. However, by reason of the tapered configuration of the rim portion 36, the lowermost lid will tend to cam out of nested relation, if adequate pressure is applied in a direction to move it crosswise of the stack. The lid dispenser of FIGS. 1-8 is adapted for dispensing lids of this types, that is lids having a tapered rim portion. However, it has been found that by slightly modifying the construction, such tapered lids can be dispensed without the use of the separator finger such as 44 shown in FIGS. 1-8. In particular, the guide rods 26', herein shown tour in number, for supporting the stack of lids are inclined in a direction upwardly and in the direction of rotation of the conveyer, as best shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. When the stack of nested lids is disposed in the magazine, the lowermost lid will tend to rest flush on the lid support plates 31' and 32'. However, the weight of the stack of lids will be imposed adjacent the leading edge of the lids. Consequently, when moving the lowermost lid off the stack, it is not necessary to raise the entire stack, but merely to cam upwardly the trailing edges of the several superimposed lids. Since the rim portions are beveled upwardly, the lower lid tends to cam the upper lids upwardly as it is moved across the stack. With such an arrangement, it is not essential to provide the separator finger such as 44 for vertically separating the trailing edges of the lids. In order to prevent damage to the lids as they are pushed off the stack, the lid pusher finger 61'is mounted on the magazine base 21' for movement in a plane adjacent the upper surface of the lid support'3'1' and 32. The finger 61 is. mounted in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1 8 and is .swingable in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 9 to engage the lowermost lid adjacent its mouth spanning portion 31'. As the pusher elements 33 on the conveyer move past the dispenser 10', they engage the end of the pusher finger 61 and move the same in a direction to push the lowermost lid to a displaced position on the stack. As the lowermost lid is moved laterally, its trailing edge earns the upper lids upwardly and out of the way. After the pusher finger 61' swings out of the path of movement of the pusher elements, the pusher elements continue moving the lids out of the magazine and into interfitting relation with the cup being advanced by the conveyer teeth 14 'therebelow. As is deemed apparent, the inclined lid guide rods 26' support the stack of lids so that the weight of the stack is borne by the leading edge of the lower lid. This. markedly facilitates the separation of the trailing edges of the lids and, could advantageously be used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 to aid in separating the lowermost lid from the remainer of the stack.

1. In combination with a conveyer having spaced cup advancing arms, a lid dispenser disposed above said conveyer and having means for supporting a stack of nesting lids of the type having a depressed central mouth spanning portion and a peripheral rim portion, lid moving means on said conveyer arms extending thereabove to engage the-rim portion of the lid, and a lid pusher finger swingably mounted on said dispsenser for movement in a pane adjacent the plane of said mouth spanning portion, said pusherfinger extending into the path of said lid moving means on the conveyer for movement thereby to push the lowermost lid to a displaced position relative to the stack, said lid moving means thereafter engaging the rim portion of the displaced lid to advance the lid with a cup.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lid supporting means includes means engageable with the lowermost lid in the stack for supporting the. lid in a plane parallel to to the path of advance of the conveyer, and

stack guide means inclined upwardly and in the direction of rotation of the conveyer to support the upper portion of the stack in an upwardly inclined position.

3. The combination of claim 1 including means mounted on said lid dispenser and operative in timed relation with said conveyer for vertically separating the trailing edge of the lowermost lid in the stack from the re-- maining lids in the stack.

4. The combination of claim 1 including a lid separator finger swingablymounted on said dispenser and extending into the path of movement of said lid moving means on the conveyer, said separator finger having a nose portion movable between the lowermost lid and the superposed stack for separating the lowermost lid from the stack of lids.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said lid separator finger is mounted for movement in a plane above the plane of said pusher finger.

6. The combination with a conveyer having spaced cup advancing arms, of a lid dispenser disposed above said conveyer for dispensing nesting type lids in response to advancement of the conveyer therepast, said dispenser including a base having a lid receiving opening and means underlying said opening for supporting a. stack of nesting lids having a central mouth spanning portion and a peripheral rim therein at a level above said conveyer, a lid separator finger pivotally mounted on said base and having a nose portion movable in an are which intersects said opening, said nose portion having cam faces thereon adapted to interfit between the rim of the lowermost lid and the lid thereabove to separate the lowermost lid from the stack, means for moving said finger to a retracted position with the nose portion positioned adjacent the trailing edge of the lids in the stack, and means on said conveyer engageable with said finger for swinging the same crosswise of said opening to separate the lowermost lid from the stack.

7. The combination with a conveyer having spaced cup advancing arms, of a lid dispenser disposed above said conveyer for dispensing nesting type lids'in response to advancement of the conveyer therepast, said dispenser including a base having a lid receiving opening and means underlying said opening 'for supporting a stack of nesting lids having a central mouth spanning portion and a pcripheral rim therein ata level above said conveyer, a lid separator finger pivotally mounted on said base and having a nose portion movable in an are which intersects said opening, said nose portion having cam faces thereon adapted to intenfit between the rim of the lowermost lid and the lid thereabove to separate the lowermost lid from the stack, means for moving said finger to a retracted position with the nose portion positioned adjacent the trailing edge of the lids in the stack, a lid pusher finger pivotally mounted on said base for swinging movement in a plane below said separator finger and above said lid supporting means, and means on said conveyer sequentially engageable with said separator finger and said pusher finger for moving the same crosswise of said opening to sequentially separate the trailing edge of the lowermost lid from the stack and thereafter push the lowermost lid ofi the stack.

8. The combination of claim 7 including means on said pusher finger adapted to underlie the mouth spanning portion of the lowermost lid adjacent the trailing edge thereof to maintain the lid in proper relation on the pusher finger.

9. The combination with a conveyer for advancing cups along a path, of a dispenser for dispensing nesting type lids in response to movement of the conveyer therepast, said dispenser including a base having a lid receiving opening and means underlying said opening to engage the lowermost lid in the stack and support the same in a generally horizontal position, said dispenser having a stack guide extending upwardly from said base and inclined upwardly and in the direction of rotation of the conveyer past the dispenser to support the upper portion of the stack in a vertically inclined position whereby the weight of the stack is imposed on the lowermost lid adjacent its leading edge, and means responsive to movement of the conveyer below the dispenser for moving the lowermost lid crosswise of the stack in the direction of advance of the conveyer said last mentioned means including a lid pusher finger pivotally mounted on said base for movement in a plane adjacent the bottom of the lowermost lid, and means on said conveyer engageable with said finger for swinging the same crosswise of the stack as the conveyer moves below the dispenser.

10. In combination with a conveyer having spaced cup advancing arms, a lid dispenser disposed above said conveyer and having means for supporting a stack of nesting lids of the type having a depressed central mouth spanning portion and a peripheral rim portion, lid moving means on each conveyer arm extending thereaeove to engage the rim portion of the lid, a lid pusher finger mounted on the dispenser for movement in a path disposed adjacent the mouth spanning portion of the lowermost lid in the stack, said pusher finger projecting into the path of said lid moving means on said cup advancing arms for movement thereby to push the lowermost lid to a displaced position relative to the stack as the cup advancing arms move past the lid dispenser, said lid pusher finger moving out of engagement with the lid when the lid is moved to a displaced position relative to the stack, said lid moving means thereafter engaging the rim portion of the displaced lid to advance the lid with a cup.

11. The combination with a conveyer having spaced cup engaging arms for advancing cups along a path, of a lid dispenser disposed above said conveyer for dispensing nesting type lids in response to advancement of the conveyor therepast, said dispenser including a lid magazine for supporting a stack of lids above the conveyer, means on the dispenser for raising the stack relative to the lowermost lid on the stack, said stack raising means including a lid separator finger pivotally mounted on the magazine adjacent the trailing edge of the lids therein for horizontal swinging movement, said separator finger having a wedge-shaped nose portion movable in an are intersecting the stack between the lowermost lid and the remainder of the stack to raise the stack adjacent the trailing edge of the lowermost lid, and operator means on the conveyer movable with said arms for engaging said separator finger to swing the same in said are in response to movement of the conveyer past the dispenser.

12. The combination with a conveyer having spaced cup engaging arms for advancing cups along a path, of a lid dispenser disposed above said conveyer for dispensing nesting type lids in response to advancement of the conveyer therepast, said dispenser including a lid magazine for supporting a stack of lids above the conveyer, means on the dispenser for raising the stack relative to the lowermost lid on the stack, a lid pusher finger pivotally mounted on the magazine for movement in a plane adjacent the bottom of the lowermost lid, and operator means on the conveyer movable with the arms for operating the stack raising means in response to movement of the conveyer past the dispenser, said operator means engaging said pusher finger to swing the same crosswise of the stack and move the lowermost lid crosswise of the stack as the cup engaging arms move past the lid dispenser.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,309,929 Bronson Feb. 2, 1943 2,699,281 Duke Jan. 11, 1955 2,840,963 Osmond July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 813,369 Great Britain May 13, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,040,494 June 26, 1962 Ralph F. Anderson 6. that error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certifie he said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and that t corrected below.

Column '6, line 10, for "pane" read plane Signed and sealed this 16th day of October 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

DAVID L. LADD ERNEST W. SWIDER Commissioner of Patents Atteeting Officer 

